Baseline

The baseline for Generation Study Abroad is data from the Open Doors 2013 Report, which reports that in academic year 2011/12, 283,332 students participated in credit bearing and 12,758 students participated in non-credit bearing programs. While that may sound like a lot, it in fact represents less than 10% of the 2.6 million students graduating with associates or baccalaureate degrees each year.

Our target is 600,000 U.S. students studying abroad in credit and non-credit programs by the end of the decade.

Work, Internships and Volunteering Abroad

More and more US students are seeking out short-term jobs, internships, and volunteer work overseas, and with good reason. Data collected by Open Doors® show a sharp increase in the reported number of students engaged in work, internships, and volunteering abroad (WIVA) over the past years. The number of students engaging in non-credit work, internships, and volunteering abroad grew from 8,700 students in 2010/11 to 12,758 in 2011/12, along with increasing institutional response rates. However, much more work needs to be done to help institutions collect better data on work, internships, and volunteer activities. Efforts will be taken by Generation Study Abroad to refine best practices this arena.